yea is CLR safe for aluminum?

where can i get something thats not too expensive? i still doubt its the guage, i tested it with resistors and got pretty close to the levels i expected, so i dont think it could be that far off.

ok so im going to change the oil and oil filter. then im gonna drain the coolant (for the millionth time) because im switching to a 75/25 mixture. since im draining the system anyway im gonna flush the engine a few more times and maybe use CLR but i wont do it unless someone can give me their word that its ok to use on aluminum.

 

I used a gallon of purple power de-greaser. That **** removes every and any thing, and YES it's alloy friendly.
The reason behind useing purple power is that it removes every trace of anti-freeze

 

Hmmm. I was putting a cup of distilled water in the radiator and I noticed the rad cap came off too easy. Maybe it's shot. So I put a spare on and the car runs better: thermo only comes up 1/3.

The old cap was 13 psi, the new one is 16 psi.

B

 

Watch it. That purple cleaner is NOT aluminum safe. Read the label. I use it on aluminum, but you dont want to leave it in/on there too long. ANd make sure you flush it out good with water to get it all out if you use it.

 

Man, this is playin' out like some low-buck novella....what's next?

 

Does the coolant in your overflow boil at all after you drive it and it starts to overheat?

 

I thought ethylene glycol had higher heat capacity than water(?)

I think putting a new cap on solved my problem, but I don't know why. Presumably the increased pressure just increases boiling point, not heat capacity, so it protects against overheating but doesn't make the engine run cooler. Otherwise, pressure may be used to keep major bubbles from forming down low under the rotors where the temp gets highest.

And what's the best pressure of cap to use? 13 or 16 psi?

B

 

So it was just the radiator cap?? How anti-climatic...esp., after someone suggested that on page 1....

 

Stoopid double post

 

Errrr....I think you got lost Mario. this thread is so long you forgot who the original poster was.

But while we're on the subject, 7 hows your radiator cap?

 

well guys i got bad news......i changed teh oil and the filter, flushed the motor again, and refilled with 75/25 coolant.....and it didnt do anything. in fact, it went back up to 3/4, while idling! Also, now it smokes all the time when running . so it looks like the only way i can fix it is to rebuild. is there even a chance the smoke could be the mmo i premixed because it didnt get mixed thoroughly? also, aside from the fact that it seems to be loosing coolant now, what makes it run hotter? i know i need to rebuild but im just curious. there is one good thing tho......i might be getting another working FB for $100 . if i get it and the engine is good im gonna swap them so i can drive to a job, and then i can save up for my 13B bridgeport.

 

Well if its burning coolant, its not gonna last much longer. If its only a small leak, do a search for using block seal as a temp fix. The smoke could be your premix too, but if the coolant is disappearing, its going somewhere right?

 

well i didnt run it for very long so im not positive it's losing coolant. but its cant be just that because its getting way too hot. how would a bad radiator cap make it overheat? since loosing coolant doesnt cause overheating immediatly, why could be causing it to overheat now, keeping in mind everything that ive done?

 

You've done everything !! . The only thing left is try the block sealer. I did it to my -SE and it works. CRC block seal, about $7.00 dollors a bottle at pep boys. you need 2 bottles, 1 gallon of, you guessed it... purple power de-greaser. warm up the engine,remove the thermostat,replace the water neck,and hoses, pour 1/2 gallon PP into the radiator and flush the rest with water
start engine and warm up again, drain entire system, cap it up, add the other 1/2 gallon PP and fill with water,
warm up engine again, drain, then flush the **** out of everything again.fill with only water, add the 2 bottles of CRC block seal, down the radiator. warm up engine or drive for 15-20 minutes, then park the car and leave it alone overnight. next day install the thermostat and your mix of anti-freeze and water and see what happens when you start the car. In order for the CRC block sealer to work all traces of anti-freeze must be gone....purple power de-greaser

 

If the cap cant keep the system pressurized it will run hotter. Try this. Start the car, turn teh heat and fan on full blast hot and see if it keeps the temp lower.

 

Murphys 2nd law: nothing easy is going to work.

Murphys 3rd law: the easy solution will only work after you've tried the hard solutions.

B

 

******* murphy !! wasn't he a cop ??? Lol
If your loosing coolent and can't see the leak ,CRC that thing. I think he installed the thermostat up-side down.

 

The rad cap switch seems to be working.

Still don't know whether 13 or 16 psi is best.

I suppose that with the system sealed that the water pump is less likely to cavitate. That any bubbles are compressed and cannot expand. Of course, one bleeds the cooling system by operating the engine (while parked) with the cap off to let air escape.

B

 

can i find the purple power stuff and CRC block sealer at autozone? i dont have a pep boys around here

 

I know Kragen sells Castrol Super Clean which is same as purple power, and Kragen sells CRC block sealer.

Bet autozone sells it or something similar.

 

The rad cap switch seems to be working.

Still don't know whether 13 or 16 psi is best.

I suppose that with the system sealed that the water pump is less likely to cavitate. That any bubbles are compressed and cannot expand. Of course, one bleeds the cooling system by operating the engine (while parked) with the cap off to let air escape.

B

 

Still, I don't know the answers to these questions:

1-is the heat capacity of Eth Glycol less than water? My understandin is that heat cap increases as you add eth glyc until 50% solution, then it starts going down.

2-What pressure cap should I use: 13 or 16 psi?

B

 

1- im almost positive the heat capacity of water is greater than EG so the more water in the mixture, the faster it can cool. however if there is too little EG, you have an increased risk of boiling/freezing.

2- I would use 16psi. i was thinking about it....a higher pressure cap will keep more coolant in the system instead of the overflow tank, increasing the density. since it is more dense, it can cool faster .

Im also going to get a higher pressure cap.

im gonna flush a few times with the purple power, because im thinking clogged passages is the problem - the last time i refilled it, it wouldnt take all the coolant it was supposed to. im thinking that since i flushed already, the stuff i used didnt do that great of a job and maybe knocked some stuff loose instead of dissolving it and it just all got stuck somewhere else. after i flush a few times im gonna use the block sealer too.

 

mark p, if i take out the t-stat, and put the CRC in the radiator, wont the water recirculate through the bypass hole, leaving most of the CRC in the radiator?

bliffle, where did you get your 16psi cap?

why dont people get like 20+ psi caps? wouldnt that create a more powerful cooling system?

 

Yes water is a better heat conductor than EG. THe eg is there for antifreeze and corrosion control purposes.

The higher pressure cap allows the system to run at a higher pressure. Physics tells us that waters boiling point rises with pressure. Go too high and you can blow a hose. I think I wouldnt wanna go above 16, and prolly not necessary to go above 13. Make sure you have a good cap, running to low a pressure in the cooling system will allow the coolant to boil at a lower temp. Remember, your temp gauge is measuring water temp that is not the hottest part of the engine. Coolant passing by the hot spost of the engine can boil if the pressure is too low, causing air pockets, making the engine run hotter.

Why would you remove the tstat to block seal the engine? Yea it would recirculate back to the radiator.